Personal Stuff

Connie Moser

My web designer, who also happens to be my daughter, and I have been wanting to add to the site. We kicked around a few ideas, and decided to add some personal things I have written over the years. Having settled on content, next came the choosing of a title for our latest link. We discussed several, but nothing seemed quite right. Finally, out of the blue, I suggested “P.S.” (Personal Stuff)!
As you can see, this section is more for recreational than educational reading, yet still inspirational! I hope you enjoy these musings as we meander together through some of the happenings, events, and personal memories of The Home Place. Additional writings will be posted periodically, so be sure to drop by again!
~~~~~~God Bless,
Pastor Moser
August, 2004

Pastor's note:The following is an email sent to my neighbor after having her 3 daughters (ages 6-13) over to my house for a
Christmas "cooking class." All names have been changed to protect the
guilty :) I hope you enjoy our new links!

Hi Grace!

Just wanted to report that the girls behaved excellently in their first
session of "Aunt Connie's Cooking Class." Everyone had their own chores,
and were kept busy.

We began class by having those who could write, take down the 2 recipes we
used, on index cards. I believe Nikki was in charge of transporting said recipes
home... you may have to check her pockets, haha.

I suspect that since we began as in a classroom atmosphere, it lent a
professional ambiance to the occasion, thereby eliminating undo foolishness, and
quarreling, etc. (Nikki wished to know the meaning of etc. when her recipe
referred to it, so a little English/vocabulary lesson was also inserted into the
course).

Everyone behaved responsibly, I am delighted to report, with intermittent
periods of tom-foolery, instigated by the teacher. Learning is often enhanced by
occasional episodes of light-heartedness.

One incident of tom-foolery occurred during the time between the 2 recipes, when
the cookies were in the oven. The teacher had previously turned on the stereo,
and then lead the students into the dining/ballroom, where an impromptu dance
class ensued. School dances became the leading topic of conversation and Nikki
soon became the leader of the class. Michelle bemoaned the fact that she
couldn't dance.

The teacher, moved by Michelle's plight, lead them in an adult style of the
slow dance, until a more lively tune began. While the teacher checked on
the cookies, a fervent version of slam dancing broke out, resulting in a slight
head injury suffered by Easter, as Nikki was instructing her with great
enthusiasm. Upon checking said injury, the teacher was assuring that all was
well, and with Nikki feeling very sorry for the accident, Easter then returned
to the dance floor, without any retaliation against her former partner.

With all that pent up energy exorcised, the students returned to the kitchen,
where the tedious stirring of the fudge commenced. Everyone took turns, (the
youngest standing on a stepstool), while the eldest took charge of firmly
holding onto the saucepan.

Eventually Michelle took over the fudge, which required great patience and
fortitude...the younger girls needed a more active involvement...therefore the
teacher involved them in the cooling of the cookies. Instructions were given on
the importance of turning out baked cookies onto the inside of a clean paper
bag. A demonstration on cutting the bag was given after a brief search of the
kitchen, in an attempt to locate said bags.

Next came the careful transfer of warm cookies onto the bag. It
required some dexterity, but little Easter did surprisingly well without
breaking a single one.

Finally the fudge was ready for the marshmallows, and each girl poured while
Michelle continued to stir...I suggested the next time we might try the
microwave, rather than the slow saucepan method!

At last the time came to pour the fudge into the carefully and thoroughly
greased pan, which Easter had graciously provided. This involved 3 utensils,
which were naturally covered with fudge, at the end of the process. The teacher
handed one to each girl and instructed them to lick them clean. (This is one of
the perks of being a cook, and besides I don't have a dishwasher, haha). Easter
got the pan, and wasn't quite sure as to how to extract the remnant fudge.
The teacher held up her index finger, and said "Use your lickpot!" Easter
still looked a little confused, thereby causing me to belt out my rendition of
"Little one, lean one, long one, lick-pot, thumbo"...complete with hand
illustrations, (holding up each finger that coincided with each term).

Nikki seemed very familiar with the term lick-pot, as she proudly reported that
Mrs. Shurbly taught some sort of cooking in back of her third grade classroom,
and the student of the day got to assist...she would then tell the student to
'use your lick-pot' and let them clean out the pan!

Our class had just come to an end, when you called. The girls took the
opportunity to return to the dining/ballroom and recess broke out as you and I
talked...(hence, the background din).

All in all I'd say we each had a great time and our recipes turned out
perfectly. The girls requested that I watch them as they walked home...they took
their time, looking for deer, and trying to bare their treasures safely and
proudly back to you.

I would have to say they each deserved an A+ in their first Culinary Arts
class... in behavior, cleanliness (thorough handwashing was also included in the
instructions, as well as the proper arrangement of hair), participation,
attitude, citizenship, and edibility of products.